Hypertension on rise in urban India, study

NEW DELHI: A government study has found that almost 15% of the country's population is suspected to be suffering from hypertension.

According to a survey screening almost 75 lakh people across the country under the Government's National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and stork found the prevalence of hypertension among urban populations increased from 2-4% in mid-1950s to 10-15% at the end of 20th century.

A study conducted on 2,560 school children between the age group of 5-15 years to evaluate the prevalence of hypertension in apparently healthy school children of a prosperous, industrialized city of Punjab found 2.8% children had high blood pressure in the first screening.